Dealing With The Hype
Once Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff had been drawn to play each other at the US Open people were eagerly anticipating the match up. While Osaka was the defending champion, some experts thought Gauff had the skills to take out the Japanese star. After a nervy start from Coco Gauff, she settled into the match and pushed Naomi Osaka all the way in the first set. Osaka then showed why she was the defending champion and was too strong for Gauff in the second. The occasion may just have been a bit too big for Coco Gauff as she appeared to struggle with the pressure.
The Tears Started Flooding
This was Gauff’s home event, and when she lost the match she couldn’t stop her emotions from coming out. Coco Gauff was in tears and rather than celebrate her victory, Naomi Osaka spent a long time consoling the young star. Osaka could be overheard telling Gauff to let everything out now, instead of going into the locker room and crying there.
Double Interview
The winner of the match then invited Coco Gauff to do the post-match interview together and complimented her opponent and her family. Then as she continued to say how amazing Gauff was for the impact she was having on the tour even Naomi Osaka broke down in tears.
The post-match interaction went to show that even though competitors fight as hard as possible for our entertainment, they are all still human.